Tricky Two-Year-Old

I had just finished nursing
six-month-old Cecilia. It was one of those long, drawn-out nursing sessions
where she was fighting sleep. Eventually, she succumbed to the urge
and started counting sheep. I gingerly eased her into the bouncy seat
and settled back on the couch to watch a little television.

Two-year-old Abigail came
up to the couch, climbed in my lap and stated her simple request, "Nin-nin."

Feeling a little touched-out, I patted her back and said, "You can nurse after lunch, Honey."

Appearing satisfied with that answer, she asked, "Baby Beh?"

"Yes, you can go get your Baby Bear."

She toddled off, and I heard
her rummaging through the bins in our living room play area. She came
back with Baby Bear and climbed back up on the couch. She sat there
by my feet for a few seconds, watching the television. Then, she looked
over her shoulder at me and said, "Beh nin-nin?"

"Go ahead and nurse your bear."

She lifted her shirt and
settled into that far-away-peaceful expression that often takes over
a mother's face while nursing. A minute or two later, she handed Baby
Bear to me, stating, "Nin-nin beh."

"You want me to nurse the bear?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," I said, as I settled Baby Bear in my arms.

"No, ert uh," she
insisted as she took the bear from me. Sighing, I lifted my shirt. But
evidently that wasn't good enough. She pointed at my bra and grunted.

"You want me to open my bra too?"

"Yeah."

So I opened the nursing flap
on my bra and reached for the bear again. My tricky two-year-old took
the opportunity to dive in and latch herself on while tossing poor Baby
Bear over her shoulder. I'm still giggling over the way she planned
it out.